19 Existing Dog Breeds That Closely Resemble Wolves

For anyone who has watched medieval movies or are followers of the Game of Thrones series, you have probably wanted to have your own loyal wolf companion to feel regal. A wolf is something many have secretly dreamed of owning. They are strong, sturdy, and not to mention will protect you from harm.

Wolves are not recommended to be household pets at all. They are wild with strong predator instincts, making them a danger for most people. So the closest thing you can settle for is with a dog that strongly resembles a wolf. But do know that they require advanced owners when it comes to being taken care of. They need exercise, or else, they will display destructive behavior. They need to be trained at a young.

Still interested? Read on below the top dogs that strongly resemble wolves and see if they suit your household.

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Northern Inuit Dog

Game of Thrones fans may have found themselves wondering what kind of dog breeds were used to portray the direwolves, a now-extinct breed of canine that are prominent figures in the series. Well, the dogs that the production used is the Northern Inuit dog, which was originally bred in the United Kingdom.

Actress Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark in the series, actually adopted her dog in real life. A fun act about this breed is that they are not as closely related to real wolves as you may think. The Northern Inuit dog is actually part of the spitz family and are crossbreeds between German shepherds and the Inuit dogs.

These dogs are definitely not for new owners, they are difficult to train, can suffer separation anxiety, and are generally high maintenance.

Siberian Husky

One of the most popular dog breeds on this list is the Siberian husky. They are super energetic and strong dogs that fare better in places with colder temperatures. The husky is a wonderful family dog, but do make sure that their home environment has plenty of space for them to exercise, so apartments are definitely not an option. If you are to leave your husky outside, make sure to place a high fence as they tend to escape especially when restless.

Alaskan Malamute

The Alaskan malamute is actually one of the oldest breeds in the world. They were originally bred as working dogs but now make excellent house pets. This particular breed tends to overheat because of their thick double coat, so make sure your malamute lives in an area with adequate temperature to keep their body temperature low. If you have kids in the house, then the malamute is the perfect dog for you. They are loving, sweet, and loyal, but do know that these dogs can be noisy. Oftentimes, you can come a cross a malamute that will not stop howling.

German Shepherd

German shepherds are one of the most popular dog breeds in the world. They are perfect for health, police, and military work but can be family pets as well. Train your German shepherd and allow them to socialize at a young age as they tend to be easily suspicious when it comes to protecting their family.

Wolf Dog Mixes

While the dogs mentioned above are not directly related to wolves at all, there are actual wolf hybrids that exist in this world. It means that these dogs contain real wolf DNA, an example of which is Loki (pictured above with his owner). He is actually part Arctic wolf, husky, and part malamute. Because of Loki’s wolf genes, he and so many other hybrids are dangerous to handle. They are wild, more aggressive, and stubborn when it comes to training. Therefore, wolf dogs are only for seasoned animal trainers as there have been unfortunate cases wherein these dogs were euthanized because inexperienced owners mishandled them.

Wolf dogs generally fare better in rural areas where they can roam freely and feel at ease with their environment. Some places like in Russia actually make use of wolf dogs for military purposes as their strong instincts make them perfect for locking down enemies.

Czechoslovakian Wolf Dog

This new breed of dogs was originally bred to be police dogs around Europe and have done various works such as search and rescue, herding, and hunting. Other than that, they can also make excellent house pets as they have the ability to be close to their owners and to their families as well. If you want to get one, do make sure that their environment is big enough for them to receive long exercises throughout the day as they tend to be destructive.

Canadian Eskimo Dog

This arctic breed of working dogs are excellent family pets, but they do need a lot of exercise and training at a young age. Other than that, they are known to be fiercely protective of their families and will defend them at all costs.